Blancher

Blanchers are important and fundamental equipment in the food production and processing process. Each food product requires a different role for the blancher, as it serves a specific application. In simple terms, blanchers are hot water tanks through which food passes at a specified temperature and for a set duration.

Blanchers are a vital part of the French fries production line of French fries and significantly impact product quality. They perform several functions when processing potatoes. Typically, two blanchers with different temperature settings are used in the French fries' production line. The primary blancher employs higher temperature for a shorter time, while the secondary blancher uses lower temperature for a longer duration to enhance the texture of the potatoes.

Potatoes contain various elements crucial for French fries' quality, including enzymes, sugar, starch, and iron. Enzymes in potatoes can lead to issues such as discoloration, changes in texture, and color. Blanchers play a key role in stabilizing the product's color and texture by deactivating these enzymes. They also reduce oil absorption in the fryer by gelatinizing the surface layer of potatoes with starch. The temperature of potato blanching is determined by the inactivation of enzymes, and the blanched product's enzyme activity is measured using a peroxidase test equipment.

Another important function of the blancher is to control and reduce the sugar content in potatoes. Excess sugar can result in browning of the product when fried in oil. To maintain the product's texture, potatoes are rapidly cooled with cold water between the two blanchers. Finally, because the potatoes are partially cooked in the blancher, the frying time in the fryer is reduced. The successful execution of all these activities in the blancher depends on maintaining temperature stability and uniformity during the blanching process and the type of potato transfer system used.

Our company has designed an efficient blancher for its customers, incorporating a unique system that mixes water and steam to heat the blancher water and transfer the potatoes through the drum.